Hey there! I’m Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer.
AI-generated music has been making waves in the media for a while now, with research and commercial applications popping up left and right. But there are still some lesser-known AI projects in the music world—especially those leveraging unique learning methods—that deserve more attention.
Today, I want to introduce you to what I think is the most composer-friendly AI music tool I’ve come across lately. (No, this isn’t sponsored… haha!)
[link: https://kagura-music.jp/melisma]
Developed single-handedly by a creator in Japan, Melisma is seriously impressive—give it a listen, and you’ll be floored. This is still beta-stage audio, mind you. I first stumbled across it last year during its beta phase, and even then, it blew me away.
What’s Melisma All About?
Melisma takes sheet music in MusicXML format, sorted by instrument parts, and spits out incredibly natural-sounding audio. The quality hinges a lot on how well you write the articulations—those little details can totally change the vibe.
It’s got a list of supported and unsupported articulations, but even with that in mind… wow. It’s way cheaper than hiring real musicians and sounds so much more authentic than your average virtual instrument. I couldn’t help but wonder: are live performers, virtual instrument makers, and even string-focused studios in real danger now?
This got me thinking about my own future as a musician… 😢 I’ve actually started dabbling in AI learning research myself lately, but as a music creator, it’s a bittersweet feeling.
Mind-Blowing Realism
It’s not just strings either—check out the demo sounds, and you’ll hear woodwinds with breath noises so lifelike it’s insane. It almost feels like we’re entering a new era of score-writing. When I first heard it, I was hit with a wave of mixed emotions—excitement, awe, and a little dread.
They’ve got vocal synthesis too, but honestly, that part still feels a bit rough around the edges… haha. It’s not quite there yet.
What really shocked me, though? The price. The standalone version (Windows-only for now) is just 15,000 yen per instrument—about the cost of a single virtual instrument plugin. Could this be the future of virtual instruments? I’m starting to think so.
Trying It Out
I mixed Melisma with some traditional string virtual instruments in an unreleased track of mine, and the results were pretty darn good. That said, every now and then, you get some odd, glitchy sounds popping up. It’s not perfect—sometimes you’ve got to tweak and regenerate to get it just right.
The developer, by the way, has a fascinating background—used to play recorder, composes a ton, and has a pretty unique resume. You can read more about them here: [link: http://nakasako.jp/about].
Recognition and Reflections
Last year, Melisma won the Best Presentation Award in the Best Application category at the Music and Computer (MUS) Research Group’s session during Japan’s Information Processing Society conference. That’s some serious cred!
It’s a reminder that the world doesn’t reward just one kind of obsession anymore. Old jobs fade, new ones emerge—it’s bittersweet to watch, but there’s no fighting the tide. That’s why I think it’s worth diving into all sorts of skills and studies; you never know what’ll come in handy.
Even I’m struggling to make ends meet sometimes, but to all my fellow musicians out there—let’s keep pushing forward!
Closing Thoughts
Melisma’s potential has me both excited and a little nervous about where music creation is headed. It’s a tool that could shake up how we think about virtual instruments and live performance—and at a price that’s hard to argue with.
That’s it for now—see you in the next post! 😊
Jooyoung's Music Blog 